I Became a Genius Black Mage at the Holy Academy

‘Of all people, I ended up with these two as roommates…’

Roan never intended to get involved with those two.

He also wanted to hang out with normal students who would be scared at the sight of the cliff and make a fuss.

“Didn’t Darc say to move aside?”

At that moment, Hector stepped forward with his sturdy body and spoke to the students.

Only then did the crowd split to both sides, clearing a path to the cliff.

“Let’s go.”

Hector looked back at Roan and said.

Seeing his oddly proud face made Roan even angrier.

At this rate, Hector would truly look like his right-hand man.

“… Thanks.”

Roan nodded and quickly walked ahead.

The seniors who were reassuring the freshmen at the cliff asked.

“Darc? Are you really going down this cliff?”

‘Weren’t you the ones telling us to go down?’

Considering their reaction, they must have realized how absurd this was.

After all, they were freshmen a year ago too.

“Yes. We can’t be late for class.”

“As expected…!”

‘As expected, my foot.’

Roan stood at the edge of the cliff, ignoring their approving nods.

The technique was the same as yesterday.

Fwoosh!

False holy light shone from Roan’s hands and feet. However, at its raw, it was filled with dark magic.

Thud!

Roan began descending the cliff without hesitation.

Witnessing this, the seniors smiled broadly and told the freshmen.

“See? If you use your holy power like that, it’s easier than you think to climb down.”

“But we haven’t learned that yet.”

“Huh? Oh… right.”

How is he doing that, then?

Such conversations went on, but Roan paid no attention.

He had decided to endure this level of attention.

And it was more important not to be late for class.

Once the first step is taken, the rest follows easily.

Hector and Demona followed Roan, and the hesitant freshmen began climbing down the cliff as well.

Thud!

Before long, Roan safely reached the bottom of the cliff.

Of course, not everyone could do the same.

─ Huh? Huh? Oh no!

─ Aaaah!

Most arrived safely despite the slight delay, but a few inevitably slipped and fell midway.

‘That’s about the same failure rate as newbies.’

Roan admired the excellent balance of God and Devil as he headed toward Hetron Hall.

* * *

─ What’s the first class?

─ It’s a basic healing class.

A large lecture hall big enough to accommodate all the freshmen.

In the first semester of the first year, all students had to take common classes together unless there were special circumstances.

Freshmen were chatting excitedly with their roommates.

─ …But what’s this dagger for?

─ I have no idea.

Everything was normal except the sharp daggers placed at each seat.

‘It’s natural they don’t know yet.’

Who could guess the truth?

Srrrk!

At that moment, the door of the lecture hall opened, and a handsomely tall professor walked in.

He was a hybrid with the blood of a royal wolf.

With golden fur, slicked-back hair, and a monocle over his left eye, his name was Atoga Julian.

A character popular among the few female users of God and Devil for his striking design. The human and wolf traits were blended in a golden ratio.

‘Of course. It lasted until they found out about the first class’s content.’

He was mainly responsible for basic healing classes for freshmen and advanced classes for upperclassmen…

While quiet exclamations came from all around, Roan slightly frowned.

Atoga greeted them with a pleasantly clear voice.

“Nice to meet you all, freshmen. How do you like Akerandir so far?”

─ Yes!

─ It’s really great!

The freshmen responded energetically.

‘Good for them.’

Roan felt a bit irritated.

“As you all know, this class is Basic Healing, and I am Atoga Julian, your instructor for this semester. I look forward to working with you.”

Atoga introduced himself while writing his name and the subject on the chalkboard in large letters.

The students were already filled with anticipation.

After all, for those aiming to become priests, healing and holy arts were fundamental.

This class would meet their expectations.

The assistant who accompanied Atoga distributed a scroll to each student.

“Professor, what is this?”

“This scroll contains a very simple holy art we’ll be learning today. Basic Healing.”

Ooh!

The students examined the scrolls with curious eyes.

Holy magic scrolls could be activated by infusing holy power and tearing them, but they also served as study materials since they contained the holy art.

The scroll had a symbol made of one circle and five lines along with six characters.

“Now, I assume everyone knows how to read and interpret Hilonian. Using holy power may feel awkward at first, but with some practice, you’ll get the hang of it quickly.”

Hilonian was a special language used for holy magic. It was different from the imperial common language.

To be admitted to Akerandir, students must already be proficient in reading and writing it.

‘Hilonian signifies the movement of holy power, while the symbols detail the transformation of its properties.’

Roan discreetly pushed the scroll to the far corner of his desk.

‘But it’s useless to me.’

Naturally, he had already awakened dark magic.

Knowing the symbols and operating language of holy magic wouldn’t enable him to use it.

Instead, he calculated how to discreetly and secretly utilize dark magic with effects similar to healing holy arts.

Meanwhile, the students focused on Atoga with eager eyes.

They were expecting a demonstration of the impressive healing sacred art from the professor.

But Atoga was a professor far different from their expectations.

“Now. Everyone pick up the daggers on your desks.”

─ ?

The students hesitantly picked up the daggers.

Seeing this, Atoga smiled brightly and said.

“Did everyone hear that? Now, stab your arm with it. Do it yourself.”

─ ???

The students’ mouths dropped open.

Stab their own arms with a dagger?

What kind of nonsense was this?

─ Professor, how can we stab our own arms…?

A brave student raised their hand to protest.

This was supposed to be a healing class, not a self-harm class.

However, Atoga quickly silenced the student.

Thud!

─ !!!???

“See? It’s not that hard.”

He had stabbed his own forearm with a much longer dagger, enough to pierce through.

All while maintaining his cheerful smile.

Of course, it wasn’t difficult for Atoga.

‘For an expert in asceticism, this would be a piece of cake.’

He was the professor of basic healing and advanced asceticism classes for upperclassmen.

Rumor had it that he became a healing professor because he tended to wounds from his ascetic practices.

‘Bringing herbs was the right call after all.’

Roan nodded as he watched.

Though he knew what to expect, seeing it in person was far more grotesque and insane.

He had thought about how to use dark magic, but bringing herbs was a good precaution for any unforeseen incidents.

─ …….

The students were silent.

Atoga was already accustomed to this. He reassured them.

“Don’t worry. The daggers have been thoroughly sterilized. You can stab yourself without any concerns about infection or complications.”

─ That’s not the point….

The student who had questioned and others appeared distressed from the daggers in their hands.

Then.

Thunk!

A chilling sound pierced the silence of the lecture hall.

─ Gasp!

─ He actually stabbed himself?

It was Roan.

The students turned to Roan in shock.

Then, seeing his face twisted in pain and his eyes glaring back at them with menace, they quickly looked away.

‘This is just because it hurts.’

Roan felt a bit wronged.

Being human, he couldn’t help but feel pain.

And of course, stabbing himself so deeply made him grimace.

Meanwhile, Atoga watched Roan with an intrigued look even though he didn’t express it verbally.

‘As expected of a Darc Family heir. I didn’t think he’d do it in one go.’

Atoga wasn’t a psychopath who didn’t feel pain and simply forced students to harm themselves.

This exercise, being a form of asceticism, naturally contributed greatly to the development of holy power.

From long experience, he knew that pretending it was no big deal reduced the resistance compared to worrying and making a fuss together.

The difference between making something less off-putting and making it so there’s no time to feel repulsed was subtle but significant. 

In any case, no other freshman stabbed their own forearm in one go like Roan did.

‘His life must have been more sharper than the dagger’s edge…’

“D-Darc, are you okay?”

But the one most horrified was Demona. He had seen it happen up close.

With a pale face, he asked.

Roan grimaced and answered.

“You’d better stab yourself now to get it over with.”

“?”

Demona and Hector didn’t fully understand Roan’s meaning.

But Akerandir wasn’t a place that allowed much leisure time.

─ I can’t do it, Professor!

A student immediately stood up.

No matter if it was part of the class, stabbing one’s own arm was sheer madness. It was a very reasonable objection.

Atoga nodded as if he had expected this and said,

“That’s understandable, student. In that case, there’s no choice.”

The students’ faces brightened.

It was unfortunate that Roan had stabbed himself first, but it seemed the class would proceed in a more sensible and moderate manner—

Thunk!

─ Aaaah!

─ ?!??!?!?

In an instant, Atoga stabbed the student’s forearm himself.

He then signaled to the assistant, who quickly followed suit.

Thud! Thud!

“Stabbing your own forearm is part of the ascetic practice. It will be very beneficial for you, but as freshmen, I won’t force you. For those unwilling, the assistant and I will help you directly.”

The sinister sound and delayed screams echoed repeatedly.

“For those who choose to stab themselves, be careful not to hit the bone! It’s particularly painful there!”

─ Aaaah! Professor!

Despite everything, Atoga didn’t hold back on giving useful advice to the students.

Roan looked back and forth between Hector and Demona.

‘Do you get it now?’

Hector nodded meaningfully.

Thud!

Then he stabbed his own forearm.

Roan was honestly impressed.

He hadn’t expected Hector to actually do it himself.

“As expected of the Pabilto Family.”

“… Thanks.”

Seeing this, Demona didn’t want to be outdone. He stabbed himself with the dagger as well.

Then, tearing up, he said to Roan.

“I did it too, Darc.”

“Y-yeah. As expected of Wickron.”

When Roan nodded, Demona smiled proudly.

Could it be that he stabbed himself just because he didn’t want to lose to Hector?

‘Their setup was crazy enough, but seeing it in person, they’re even more insane.’

Roan was slightly bewildered.

There had always been a bit of rivalry between the two.

Usually, they avoided each other due to a lack of interaction.

But now, Roan found himself caught in the middle as their roommate, which seemed to intensify the rivalry.

Eventually, most students ended up with daggers in their forearms, either voluntarily or with some ‘assistance.’

And so, the actual healing class began.

“Healing and treatment are entirely about experience and intuition. If you use holy arts recklessly, the wound might only heal superficially. At first, you need to cast much deeper than you think, even if it wastes some holy power.”

Atoga explained the nuances of healing holy arts in an easy and friendly manner.

─ Ugh… What did he say?

─ I don’t know…

If the students weren’t already bleeding profusely from their forearms, it would have been an excellent class.

‘Holy magic has a simple healing mechanism, but dark magic doesn’t.’

Healing with holy magic naturally regenerated flesh and healed wounds.

It was designed that way from the beginning and was a field well-suited to holy power.

Roan’s dark magic, on the other hand, was a bit different.

To heal with dark magic, it had to be approached like surgical procedures.

It consumed relatively more magical power and required transforming spells from their original purposes, but there was no choice.

He couldn’t confess to being a dark mage now, so he had to do it.

He had already experimented with the spells he would use.

These were very basic dark magic spells that his talent allowed him to use without much difficulty, and indeed, that was the case.

‘It’s best to finish before they regain their senses.’

There was no benefit in letting others notice that his healing was different.

Roan focused entirely on his inner self and summoned his dark power as he had practiced.

As the magical circuits allowed the circulation like well-maintained roads, he felt the area pierced by the dagger was neatly severed.

The remaining task was to heal it like other circuits.

Roan began to use his magical power in earnest.

‘Huh?’

However, the feeling was different from when he climbed the cliff or even when he trained.

It felt somewhat more intense and smooth.

And that feeling became increasingly clear.

‘… Is it because of the talent level?’

Roan decided to think of it that way.

After all, it was his first time attempting a proper dark magic spell.

He couldn’t yet fully grasp the performance of his talent level of 100.

But he hadn’t realized something crucial.

Twitch!

The dormant power, the false divinity, was slowly awakening.

‘First, control the blood flow.’

Typically used for offensive purposes, it was hard to use it in a limited area with maximum control.

As Roan cast the dark magic to stop the bleeding,

Fwoosh──!

Almost simultaneously, his forearm began to emit a brilliant light, asserting its presence.

Its overwhelming grandeur enchanted everyone in the lecture hall.

‘What on earth is that…!’

Even Atoga, who was monitoring the students for emergencies, was shocked.

The only one unaware of the current situation was Roan himself, who was fully focused on his dark magic.